The Failure of Summer Plans
by Kitsune Moonstar
Summary: Summer plans don't always actually go as planned. Set shortly after the season two finale.


Author's note: I do not own Castle or its characters. This is set shortly after the second season finale.

* * *

**The Failure of Summer Plans**

She didn't know who else to call. For the first time in her life, Alexis had been unable to reach her father, and she needed him. This wasn't at all the way she thought it would be, and she wouldn't feel safe until there was someone she could trust. She'd called her dad at least fifteen times, both his cell and the local number at the place in the Hamptons, with no answer. Biting her lip, Alexis waited for someone to pick up.

"Detective Beckett? This is Alexis Castle. Could you come and get me?"

* * *

Kate Beckett might currently be hurt and annoyed with Rick Castle, but she knew he would never abandon his daughter. And that was why his silence in regards to Alexis' calls worried her so badly. Not to mention the fact that Alexis was calling and asking someone to come and get her. The teenager had a good head on her shoulders, and she didn't overreact. That was why Kate was currently driving to Princeton while Ryan and Esposito contacted the local authorities in the Hamptons to check on Castle. Something was clearly wrong.

* * *

Rick Castle was getting no where. This had all been a mistake. It was a mistake to leave New York. It was mistake to let Alexis go to that summer school camp thing. It was definitely a mistake to invite Gina up here along with him. She had taken his phone, unplugged most of the phones in the house, and practically locked him in his study. And he wasn't getting any where with the book. He wanted his daughter, and he wanted Kate and the guys, and he wanted to be home. Staring at the blinking cursor, he sighed.

* * *

Alexis wasn't really thinking when she threw herself into Kate's arms. She was just so glad that she had someone here who was safe and that she could trust. There was a moment of hesitation, and then she was wrapped in a tight hug. Alexis let out a sigh of relief.

"Alexis, sweetie, what's wrong?" The detective is stroking her hair, and her voice is gentle.

"I want to go home." Her own voice is soft. "The R.A. won't leave me alone. He's scared all my friends off, and no one will believe me. He's always following me, and staring at me, and trying to touch me. I think he tried to get into my room last night, and no one will believe me, and Dad won't answer the phone!"

Detective Beckett pulled back a little so she could look Alexis in the eye. "Ryan and Esposito are finding out what's going on with your dad. Let's get you checked out of the program and go home."

* * *

Kate was getting annoyed. For one thing, the idiot was taking forever to get the paperwork done, so Alexis could leave. For another, Alexis had been right about people not believing her when she tried to report her R.A. They weren't even taken her concerns seriously.

"It's probably nothing more than teenage exaggerations. If you feel the need to file a formal complaint, Mrs. Castle, you can do so, but it's really probably nothing at all."

Kate stared at the man. Alexis burst into laughter that was almost hysterical.

"Kate's not my mom. I mean, it would be awesome if she was my step mom, but she's not. She's a homicide detective with the NYPD. And I am not making things up."

The man frowned. "If she's not your mother, Miss Castle, I'm not sure she can sign you out of the program."

Alexis rolled her eyes. "If you bothered to look at my paperwork, you would see that Detective Beckett along with my grandmother, Martha Rodgers, both have permission to collect me in the case of an emergency."

"This is hardly an emergency, young lady, and--"

"Actually," Kate cut the man off, ready to be done with all this, "as we haven't been able to get in contact with Rick Castle recently, this may be an emergency. I really need to get back to the police department, and see if they've been able to locate the man, so if you could hurry things up?"

* * *

Rick first suspected something was wrong when Gina started arguing with someone else. The fact that he could hear her arguing with the other person brought him out of his study. He actually wasn't expecting to find a pair of officers from the local police department trying to get Gina to see reason.

"Is something wrong, officers?" Rick couldn't think of any other reason for them to be here. Something must have happened.

"You're Rick Castle?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Is there a reason no one had been able to get a hold of you by phone for the past twenty-four hours?"

Castle blinked and gestured at Gina. "My agent has my phone."

The older of the two officers nodded. "Well, I suggest you don't give it to her again. Your daughter was rather panicked when she couldn't reach you, and the fact that she couldn't get a hold of you was enough to get your folks at the NYPD worried. We'll let them know you're fine, but I'd give them a call myself if I were you."

Rick thanked both the officers and saw them out before turning to deal with Gina.

"Alexis called me?"

She shrugged. "She's sixteen years old. She'll be fine. You really need to stop babying her, Rick."

He tamped down his anger. Getting his phone and finding out what was going on was more important. Alexis wouldn't be trying to contact him if it wasn't important.

"Give me my phone, Gina. Then I think you'd better pack. I'm heading back to the city, and if I come back, it will be without your company."

* * *

Saturday night found a bonfire on the beach surrounded by Castle, Alexis, Ryan, Esposito, and Lanie. Captain Montgomery had been invited but had decline. Kate sighed and nibbled on her s'more. Things weren't quite fixed, but they were better. Having a rather panicked Castle show up at the precinct (even after he'd been assured over the phone that Alexis was fine and that things were under control) had been interesting. And a little embarrassing. Especially when Alexis mentioned that Kate had been mistaken for his wife.

Kate quite honestly wasn't surprised to find Castle beating himself up over hooking up with Gina. Castle would beat himself up over anything that interfered with him being available for his daughter. She wrote off the brief reunion with his ex as a deep-fried twinkie moment a little guiltily. Kate couldn't help but wonder if it had been her relationship with Demming that had pushed Castle towards that. Given the hints all the others had been dropping lately, that was possible.

He knew she had broken up with Demming now, though Kate doubted that she would be ready to tell him that she'd been interested in something at the moment. She wasn't ready for that. Not yet at least. But at the moment, the whole gang was together again, she had toasted marshmallows and chocolate (she could live without the graham crackers), and Alexis was telling a story that embarrassed Castle. For the moment, all was right with the world, and Kate was content. She'd worried about her feelings for Castle and the future tomorrow.


End file.
